New Gibson Les Paul Classic; lovely guitar but some QC issues.

[giblesp]

Had an amazing looking Gibson Les Paul Classic arrive recently. Got it on a sale price of £1,534. Still a lot more than what they used to go for, but the full price is around £1,850.

So its an older model, 2020. Very light signs of playing, the box seemed to have its original factory seal, perhaps the signs of playing were from a test play in the factory. WHoever last played it, didn't wipe it down and there are fingerprints on the chrome.

The fret wire is not medium jumbo. My preference definitely is medium jumbo, but I'm going to give it a good play and see how it goes. 30 days return policy.

Couple of imperfections I'm not too happy with...

Here's the case. Those clips sticking out are pretty sharp, and the case is slightly split in that area.

 

[giblesp]

Binding; perfect on one side but imperfections on the bass side...

 

[giblesp]

If it were another manufacturer in the same price range, I'd say the dealer sold me B Stock without advertising it as such, albeit at a lower price and with full warranty.
But with Gibson its hard to tell, as their QC is famously inadequate.

Had this way back in '04 when buying a new LP Studio, had to go through 3 to find one with a nut that was cut properly. My '16 Studio is near perfect though, apart from a trapezoid inlay coming loose.

Haven't had a detailed look at the rest of the guitar, but initial impressions are all good. I've yet to give her a full play, when I've done that for some hours I'll write more.

 

[StrummerJoe]

I'm bummed for you. I know you did a lot of deliberating about which model to get.

30 days is a great return policy.

 

[nevermind]

Frets would seal the deal for me, it would go back, unless it plays like butter...

 

[jeffb]

Ever since the re-launch of the entire line in 2019 from the New Gibson, they have gone back to a shorter fretwire. My 2020 Slash has it. And it's maddening for me. Its great for rhythm but I don't like it for lead playing at all. I don't need the railroad tracks (had plenty of guitars with it) , but I do need some height to frets.

My 2013 ES, 2014 Les Pauls, and my 2018 Les Paul Tribute have proper width, taller frets.

As my hands have degraded big time over the past 5-6 years (nerve/other damage) , it's even more important if I want to continue to play. My 2020 sits in the case pretty much the past 6 months.

 

[DirtySteve]

The frets on my 2020 Standard were the lowest frets I've ever had. I lived with it for about a year trying to get used to them before I had it refretted with some jumbos. I have 2 tributes and the frets on those are fine.

 

[giblesp]

I've used low frets, medium frets and jumbo frets with strats, like them all really.
What I like about the lower frets on the LP is that they give a different playing experience to my LP Studio. The Classic has different pups, weight and thickness than my Studio. Makes it more interesting when swapping guitars

I've read that some '20 Classics had low frets, some had jumbos. So a return at that price point, may mean the same frets. They have the recent Classic but that's a few hundred quid more.

The frets aren't low as such, just lower. You can feel the fretboard which I find more interesting than off putting, though the fretboard is dry and needs conditioning. Have to angle the tip of my finger correctly, to get a bend. Medium Jumbos can make my technique sloppy in that regard. Used to have very low frets on a 60's Classic strat, you could really connect with the wood as if the frets weren't there. Really nice feeling. Then swap to my Highway Strat with Jumbo frets, and appreciate the differences between the two.

Players tend to run from LP's with lower frets, and I've been one of them. I'm going to give them a chance during the return period.

Good news about the binding, it's all straight. Looking around online, some binding on LP's is much worse.

If I end up falling in love with this guitar, I'll probably keep her.

If you buy Gibson, you have to put up with Gibson QC unfortunately. Not sure if its worth going through the dealers stock trying to find one that's perfect. Could ask the dealer for a slight refund. When I got my LP Studio way back in '04, a local luthier in PDX said he'd sort out the nut for free and get Gibson to pay for it on their guarantee. So there are options.

 

[giblesp]

Ever since the re-launch of the entire line in 2019 from the New Gibson, they have gone back to a shorter fretwire. My 2020 Slash has it. And it's maddening for me. Its great for rhythm but I don't like it for lead playing at all. I don't need the railroad tracks (had plenty of guitars with it) , but I do need some height to frets.

My 2013 ES, 2014 Les Pauls, and my 2018 Les Paul Tribute have proper width, taller frets.

As my hands have degraded big time over the past 5-6 years (nerve/other damage) , it's even more important if I want to continue to play. My 2020 sits in the case pretty much the past 6 months.

I sympathise mate, I have had a bit of rsi to both wrists from playing. I currently do Thai Boxing and my hands take a battering, been doing martial arts about as long as I've been playing guitar. I really recommend stretching before playing, taking time to warm up.

I'm on the look out for a used Gold Top Tribute.

 

[jeffb]

I sympathise mate, I have had a bit of rsi to both wrists from playing. I currently do Thai Boxing and my hands take a battering, been doing martial arts about as long as I've been playing guitar. I really recommend stretching before playing, taking time to warm up.

I'm on the look out for a used Gold Top Tribute.

Unfortunately I'm way past the point of healing after decades of abuse on my hands, but definitely I do my stretches and warmups now- it's the only way I can manage to play.

My beat up Goldtop Tribute is not for sale, sorry

 

[giblesp]

Unfortunately I'm way past the point of healing after decades of abuse on my hands, but definitely I do my stretches and warmups now- it's the only way I can manage to play.

My beat up Goldtop Tribute is not for sale, sorry

View attachment 141172

Beauty! What's the year? I want one of those as a stage beater.
Feel free to message re advice on your hands, I stopped playing and training for many years due to injury.

And lets always remember, this dude was missing finger tips....

 

[Dogs of Doom]

Ever since the re-launch of the entire line in 2019 from the New Gibson, they have gone back to a shorter fretwire.

I think they started that on the LP100 year series...

They said they plek'd the frets down to 40% used, or something - supposedly because "pro's" preferred it that way...

right...

 

[jeffb]

I think they started that on the LP100 year series...

They said they plek'd the frets down to 40% used, or something - supposedly because "pro's" preferred it that way...

right...

They might have done that for 2015, but they were supposed to have the same cryo frets as the 2014 models. I cannot recall the one and only 2015 I played- I couldn't handle the Jackson like neck width and never touched another.

But subsequent models I've played, 16, 17, along with my 2018 all sported the typical Henry J era frets of the last 20 years which are noticeably taller albeit not like a 6105 or such. The current Gibson models use something that sits between Epiphone and rhe frets of pre 2019.

I'm sure it saves them a couple bucks on each guitar which adds up in mass volume production.

 

[giblesp]

They might have done that for 2015, but they were supposed to have the same cryo frets as the 2014 models. I cannot recall the one and only 2015 I played- I couldn't handle the Jackson like neck width and never touched another.

But subsequent models I've played, 16, 17, along with my 2018 all sported the typical Henry J era frets of the last 20 years which are noticeably taller albeit not like a 6105 or such. The current Gibson models use something that sits between Epiphone and rhe frets of pre 2019.

I'm sure it saves them a couple bucks on each guitar which adds up in mass volume production.

I've read of people comparing the frets of '20 Classics; though listed as Medium Jumbo some had MJ's some didn't. Didn't seem to be a pattern with month of manufacture, just random.

Using up fret stock from the previous year, maybe.

They could have at least have given buyers the option, but then of course most would choose MJ's.

Got mine on discount, so I'm cool with it. But will really make sure they are the frets for me, during return period.

That's just Gibson for you, unless it's on sale or used I'll never pay full retail for a Les Paul.

 

[GuitarIV]

I've read of people comparing the frets of '20 Classics; though listed as Medium Jumbo some had MJ's some didn't. Didn't seem to be a pattern with month of manufacture, just random.

Using up fret stock from the previous year, maybe.

They could have at least have given buyers the option, but then of course most would choose MJ's.

Got mine on discount, so I'm cool with it. But will really make sure they are the frets for me, during return period.

That's just Gibson for you, unless it's on sale or used I'll never pay full retail for a Les Paul.

Unfortunately it really seems to be Gibson.

Of the few I owned and sold again I could find flaws on them all. Just sloppy workmanship. Which doesn't have to be solely Gibson, my Fender American Pro 2 Telecaster had to have the nut cut a bit deeper and the frets dressed (new guitar!), although everything else was perfect.

If you ever held a Japanese built instrument in hands, you know what perfection is. Even my Korean made LTD Phoenix from 2010 is flawless.

However there seems to be something about the materials they use or some other vodoo they do right, of all the guitars I own and owned my American Telecaster and my Custom Shop Junior are the best sounding ones. Period. Got the Junior a few weeks ago for a bargain price (as you said, I would too never pay full price) and the craftmannship is shoddy in certain spots as well.

However the thing resonates like crazy which translates to a pretty amazing tone amplified. Same as the Telecaster. It stays in tune too, so I dodged the Gibson style shitty cut nut.

Of a lot of the Japanese built instruments I had so far which were all built flawlessly only one has ever exhibited the same tonal qualities.


I don't know what it is, maybe it's all in my head but the moment I crank it with the band these two are my best sounding guitars:



So if you got a good price and the thing sounds good and plays well, keep it imho. If you overpaid and it sounds and plays bad, return it.

My

 

[giblesp]

Unfortunately it really seems to be Gibson.

Of the few I owned and sold again I could find flaws on them all. Just sloppy workmanship. Which doesn't have to be solely Gibson, my Fender American Pro 2 Telecaster had to have the nut cut a bit deeper and the frets dressed (new guitar!), although everything else was perfect.

If you ever held a Japanese built instrument in hands, you know what perfection is. Even my Korean made LTD Phoenix from 2010 is flawless.

However there seems to be something about the materials they use or some other vodoo they do right, of all the guitars I own and owned my American Telecaster and my Custom Shop Junior are the best sounding ones. Period. Got the Junior a few weeks ago for a bargain price (as you said, I would too never pay full price) and the craftmannship is shoddy in certain spots as well.

However the thing resonates like crazy which translates to a pretty amazing tone amplified. Same as the Telecaster. It stays in tune too, so I dodged the Gibson style shitty cut nut.

Of a lot of the Japanese built instruments I had so far which were all built flawlessly only one has ever exhibited the same tonal qualities.


I don't know what it is, maybe it's all in my head but the moment I crank it with the band these two are my best sounding guitars:

View attachment 141192View attachment 141193

So if you got a good price and the thing sounds good and plays well, keep it imho. If you overpaid and it sounds and plays bad, return it.

My

Awsome looking Tele. Great Marshalls also.

I have two Highway One Fenders, workmanship is great. Spot on. Same with my Mexican Classic Player, which is higher end from the Mex factory. Excellent instrument.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

Unfortunately I'm way past the point of healing after decades of abuse on my hands, but definitely I do my stretches and warmups now- it's the only way I can manage to play.

My beat up Goldtop Tribute is not for sale, sorry

Mine has the proper pickguard, (unlike some peoples' Les Pauls around here ):

 

[Vinsanitizer]

If it were another manufacturer in the same price range, I'd say the dealer sold me B Stock without advertising it as such, albeit at a lower price and with full warranty.
But with Gibson its hard to tell, as their QC is famously inadequate.

Had this way back in '04 when buying a new LP Studio, had to go through 3 to find one with a nut that was cut properly. My '16 Studio is near perfect though, apart from a trapezoid inlay coming loose.

Haven't had a detailed look at the rest of the guitar, but initial impressions are all good. I've yet to give her a full play, when I've done that for some hours I'll write more.

Agree. I don't know what anyone else's standards are, but the minute I saw the case, the scuffed binding, the fingerprints, (and smaller frets), and the smashed case, I'd call it "used" and it'd be back on the truck the same day. Unacceptable for a new guitar, and since you've been researching this for so long, you deserve a much better experience. There is no reason to settle. Send it back and get a proper guitar, this is not your "dream" Les Paul.

 

[jeffb]

Likewise, neither is mine. And mine has the proper pickguard, unlike some Les Pauls around here.

View attachment 141207

I'm a pickguard on, guy. The way God and Les intended it to be. But I had put those PLS vintage rings on and they are sized a bit large. Didn't want to modify the existing pickguard to get it work.

I've got some Gibson Historic rings waiting to go on and the pg will be back on.

 

[giblesp]

Agree. I don't know what anyone else's standards are, but the minute I saw the case, the scuffed binding, the fingerprints, (and smaller frets), and the smashed case, I'd call it "used" and it'd be back on the truck the same day. Unacceptable for a new guitar, and since you've been researching this for so long, you deserve a much better experience. There is no reason to settle. Send it back and get a proper guitar, this is not your "dream" Les Paul.

Yeah, I see your point. I got a sale price but even then; scuffed binding on a £1,550 guitar?!

I'm going to ask for a 10% reduction from the dealer.

Fingerprints were very possibly from the test play in the factory. A Gibson employee rushing, and not taking the time to simply wipe down the guitar doesn't surprise me.

Those clips sticking out of the case, could cause injury though. If they are missing these things in their QC, something is badly wrong and they refuse to sort it out.

I'm not moaning though, as we know this is what you chance when you get a Gibson.